Search Blog

Hot Summer Whitetails

It sure has been hot here in Illinois lately! I really enjoy watching whitetails during the summer. Just the other night I spent the evening driving around Harpole’s Heartland Lodge and the surrounding Pike County area spotting whitetails with my son. We had our binoculars and were able to watch some really nice bucks. Here’s a tip on how you can watch whitetails on your farms during this hot summer heat. Don’t be afraid to get those trail cameras out in the woods, mine have been out for weeks. With the ground cover as thick as it is, the key is where to place your cameras. Here’s what I do at this time of year. I know where my bedding areas are, where my food sources are, and a pretty good idea of how the deer are going to get from one point to the other. I also know that the bushes are thick, branches are full of leaves, the grass is waist high, and standing corn is taller than me. These trails are very hard to get clear pictures on this time of year, so I focus my efforts on what whitetails, and us hunters, need most during the summer, WATER! Watering holes, ponds, creeks, streams, and even the farmers huge crop sprinklers can be trail pic gold mines this time of year. You just need a place where water collects. If you have any of these water sources on your property, get a camera set up there as soon as possible, you’ll be amazed at the pictures you can get, even in the mid-afternoon heat. Since there is a better chance of getting pictures during daylight at this time of year, make sure you set up your cameras facing north. This will allow the sun to rotate from east to west behind your camera, preventing the chance of those “sun flash” pictures with just the tip of a deer that we all hate. Get those cameras set at a 45 degree angle to the trails that meet the water’s edge to keep your deer in the frame as long as possible. Make sure you trim back any vegetation that the wind might blow across the face of your camera, and have fun. Use these helpful hints and enjoy watching your deer herd today! I can’t wait to see these deer, and all of you, this fall. If you would like to enjoy an incredible hunting experience at Harpole’s Heartland Lodge, just give me a call and I will be happy to show you what we have to offer.